Thursday, 10 July 2014

Initial impressionsLooking at the oddly shaped broadheads in the packet I immediately though that it looked like a prop from the latest Robocop movie. It had that mean sci-fi look to it.

Packaging

As with all the Rage products it comes
fully assembled and ready to use. A practice head and 3 spare collars can also be found in the blister pack.

Setup

I was itching to see how they will group with my field points. I tested the practice head on the range, shooting one arrow with a field point and another with the Rage Kore practice
head. As expected they shoot very close together making tuning a breeze.

The Test

We were fortunate enough to go and test the
broad head at Buffelsdoorn bow-hunting farm near Dwaalboom.

Unfortunately the swirling wind made for a difficult hunt. As soon as the warthogs approached the hide and the wind shifted, they quickly disappeared into the bush. And the long wait started all over again.By late afternoon I spotted a lone warthog male making its way to the hide. "Please let the wind hold for just a few minutes" I silently prayed. As the warthog moved closer I readied myself and the video camera.

I knew, if he made it into
range there will not be any second chances. What felt like forever he finally
approached the water hole to drink, as soon as he went on his knees at 20
yards, fully broadside the arrow with the 3 blade Kore was on its way.

The arrow hit him
right on the shoulder, a perfect heart shot upon impact the pig went straight
into the air, making a full 180 degree turn in midair landing in the water.

It was all over in 17
seconds and the pig expired within sight from the hide.

The wide cutting area ensured a decent blood trail that would make tracking an animal relatively easy. All dependent on the correct shot placement of course!

The hit was a pass through with a nasty wound channel. Fortunately I did not hit any ribs so there was no damage to
the broad head, it was still razor sharp. The only thing that broke as expected
was one if the clips on the collar that helps to hold the blades in place .

My thoughts on the head after the hunt, will
I use it again, yes definitely. I
personally prefer fix blades but with today’s technology and large cutting
diameter expandable broad heads, I will recommend it to anybody especially if
you are going to hunt string jumpers like warthog and impala.

It might just make the difference between a hard
tracking job and a easy follow up.

Monday, 24 March 2014

We receive numerous enquiries from beginners and newcomers to
the sport, as they are not sure what to buy and obviously they don’t want to spend too
much money to start off with.

They often start talking to friends and sales people at the various bow shops, read articles in magazines, watch videos, join online communities. Advice is freely available and everyone likes to give advice!

But for the beginner, it just adds to the confusion and the ever growing list of acronyms and technical terms...

Well, here is my opinion regarding this whole issue.

I
believe at present there is no such thing as a good or a bad bow or brand. Sure there are some bows with a
easier draw-cycle, some are faster etc. But they can be deadly accurate if the
archer does his bit properly and correctly.

In the end it is a very personal decision, the most
important part is that the bow you have chosen is comfortable to shoot. Before you rush out and buy the first and best, "test drive" a few bows in
your price range and before long - the right bow will choose you. I believe the bow is as accurate as you want it to be,
rather spend more time perfecting your shooting style, form and study shot placements if you are going to use your bow for hunting.

There are a lot off packages (Ready to Shoot packages) available from various
brands at the moment. The disadvantages of most of these packages are that the
accessories and equipment are all pretty basic and entry level. The kits normally include a sight, rest, stabilizer and
a quiver.

The Bow

We recommend buying a bare bow that suits your budget. Find a bow that you are comfortable with and that you find pleasant and comfortable to shoot with. To this base you can then add and later upgrade the accessories as your requirements and experience levels change.

The Arrow Rest

Concentrate first on the arrow rest as this is the most critical part of the setup. There are a few options like drop-away and shoot through rests. Try to get a rest that can easily be adjusted\tuned as this will become critical when setting your bow up to accurately shoot the broad-heads of your choice.

The Sight...

Sights are all about preference. There are multi pin
sights and single pin sights available and even hybrid sights that incorporate an adjustable pin and fixed pins in the same housing.

Previously the multi pin sights where
the way to go from a hunting perspective, single pin sights were mostly for the target and competition archers.

Multi pin sights give you
the advantage of adjusting your range continuously when your target is moving
around. The major disadvantage of this sight is that it
appears clustered when you aim, especially when shooting slightly
longer distances.

Single pin sights on the other hand give you a lot
more perspective when you aim simply because there is only one pin to focus on. The major disadvantage of this sight is that your
range must be preset every time. When shooting at a moving target the sight should be adjusted every time
for the specific distance.

The Release Aids...

I recommend you get the best you
can afford. As far as I am concerned this is the one part of your set-up that
you will need to get very familiar with. With time you will upgrade your bow or other accessories - but not the trigger, I always say you will marry your
trigger.

The more you shoot the more you will develop a feel for your trigger, you will
know just when the shot will go. Just be aware of the fact that the calipers on some of the triggers tend to wear out the D-loop on the string a bit faster than others.

The Arrows...

To start out with, don’t buy the most expensive arrows. In the beginning you will destroy a few arrows until you get used to your
setup. Once you are familiar with your setup and shooting ability you can move
on to better quality arrows.

One thing though, make sure your arrows have the
correct spine for the set-up you are shooting. If the spine is wrong you will
have a nightmare tuning your bow.

Now that you have the package that you like you need
to tune your set-up. There is nothing more frustrating to shoot with a bow that
is not set-up correctly. In the beginning don’t blame everything on the bow
concentrate on your style and anchor points.

Shoot with other people if possible, ask, look and learn until you develop a shooting style that you are confident
with.

Here at Stealth Adventures we will help you make sure that all the odds and ends come toghter to make you a proficient archer\hunter. With all
the basics in place good shooting form will develop fairly fast.

Now it is all about:

practice practice practice...

make sure before
you go on a hunt that your broad-heads shoot the same as your field-points...

study
shot placements - you can shoot hundreds of arrows at a target but nothing can
prepare you for the moment of truth...